Air-compressor



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R. TUENNES.

AIR COMPRESSOR.

Patented-Feb. 9, 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE.

RICHARD TOENNES, OF BOONVILLE, MISSOURI.

AIR-COMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,920, dated February 9, 1897.

Application filed May 25 1896.

To all wiz/m, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, RIOEIARD ToENNEs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boonville, in the county of Cooper and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Compressors; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to air-compressors, and its object is to provide improved means for compressing air by the power of the waves of oceans, lakes, and other bodies of water and to provide improved means for utilizing the power of waves, which is now generally allowed to go to waste, for compressing air for mechanicaland other purposes.

The invention consists, essentially, in a tower or shaft divided into a number of airtight stories or compartments, the upper one of which is employed as a storage room or receptacle for the compressed air, provided with an automatically-operating air-Valve, while the others are provided with automatic air and Water valves, the construction and operation being such that as the waves are admitted through an opening in the base of the tower the water-valves will open in the air-compressing chambers and the air-valves close, thus compressing the air and forcing it into the storage chamber or receptacle. As the waves recede the valves in the storage-chamber will close, so as to retain the air therein, and the water-valves in the compressing-chambers will also close and the air-valves open to pere mit a new supply of air to enter the compress# ing-chambers, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of an air-compressing apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same on the line 0c, Fig. 1.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 designates a tower or shaft, of masonry, metal, wood, or other suitable material, preferably tapering from the bottom to the top Serial No. 592,911. l(ll'o model.)

and provided at the base with an opening 2, provided with outwardly-inclined side and top walls 3. This tower or shaft is to be located in close proximity to a body of water, so that the Waves can readily enter the same and recede therefrom through the opening in the base.

The tower or shaft is divided into one or more air-compressing chambers 4L by means of horizontal partitions 5, two of such chambers being shown in the present instance, although Vmore or less may be employed, as found desirable. Each of these partitions is provided with an upwardly-opening air-valve 6, which automatically opens as the water enters the air-compressing chamber and closes as it recedes therefrom. The said compressing-chambers are also provided with air-inlet valves '7 in their sides. Said partitions are also provided with a float-valve S, consisting in the present instance of a ball or sphere of less specic gravity than water, which works -in a cage 9, consisting of four vertical rods 10, crossing each other at their upper ends and their lower ends secured to the upper side of the partition. This ball or seat is opened by the inow of water, and as the latter recedes it falls and seats itself in an opening 11 in the partition, through which the water enters and escapes.

provided with an air-valve inthe partition only, the water-valve and side air-valve being dispensed with. The lower chamber of the tower may be also provided with an airvalve, if desired.

The numeral 12 designates the bottom of the tower, 13 the top, and 14 a pipe communicating with the storage-receptacle and leading to the point desired to use the compressed air or to another storage-receptacle, from which the compressed air may be drawn, as required, or as may be found most convenient or desirable. This pipe should be provided with a stop cock or valve. (Not shown.)

The operation is as follows: The waves will enter the opening in the lower part thereof, rising into the compressing-chambers above, the float valve or ball rising as the water ascends, the air-valve 6 opening and valve 7 closing. By this means the air in said cham- The upper chamber or storage-receptacle is IOO bers will be compressed and forced into the storagereceptacle.' As the waves recede the valve in the storage-chamber willclose, retaining the air therein, and the side valves 7 will open to admit a new supply of air to the compressingchamber. As the valve 6 in the compressing-chamber closes, as the waves recede, the float-valve 8 will remain open until all the water escapes, when it will close.

Vhile I have shown two air-compressing chambers, but one or more may be employed, according` to circumstances.

Instead of building the tower as described a shaft may be constructed in the cliffs along the shore, where nature will admit of it, with a tunnel at the base thereof to allow the waves to enter and escape. The principle of the invention will be the saine, however, the air being compressed by the inflow and allowed to enter the compressing-chambers on the outflow.

As before stated, only one compressingchamber may be employed, which will be found to answer all purposes wh ere the apparatus is employed, to utilize the wave-power of lakes and other inland bodies of water where there are no tides; but when used with oceanwaves, where the rise and fall of the tide are considerable, I prefer to build the tower with a number of compressing chambers or stories, which will depend upon the height of the tide. p Y

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- In an apparatus for compressing air by wave-power, the combination with the tower or shaft having an openin g in its lower end provided with inclined guide-walls, and the horizontal partitions or floors dividing the tower into an air compressing and storage chamber, and the pipe communicating with the storagechamber, of the downwardly closing airvalve in the bottom of the storage-chamber, the downwardly-elosing valve in the bottom of the compressing-chamber, the air-valve in the side of the compressing-chamber, and the float-valve in the bottom of the compressingchamber consisting of the ball or sphere and the crossed vertical wires or rods, the constructionbeing such that said float-valve will allow any water to escape from the compressingchamber when the air-valve in the bottom thereof closes, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD TOENNES.

Vitnesses:

LUCIEN WRIGHT, JOSEPH F. RUTHERFORD. 

